Sorting of yarn packages



Filed March 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Shea?I 1 A FGUYLER |NvENTOR March 31, 1942. A. F, c aUYLlR Y I 2,277,754

SORTING OF YARN PACKAGES Filed March 15, 1940 2l sheets-sheet 2 A-r-'LUYLER Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNTED STATES orties SORTINGV OF YARN PACKAGES Application. March 15, 1940, Serial No. 324,046 In Great Britain March 21, 1%9

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the sorting of yarn packages, and particularly with the sorting of yarn packages in accordance with the amount of yarn contained thereon. The invention is especially concerned with incomplete yarn packages and it is an object of the invention to provide a method and means for sorting such incomplete packages in accordance with the amount of yarn contained thereon.

According to the present invention yarn packages are sorted in accordance with the amount of yarn contained thereon by allowing them to rest in an opening vwhose width is controlled by movable elements, e. g. spring-loaded flaps, and pressing open said elements to a predetermined extent, whereby packages below a certain diameter, depending on the extent of pressing, pass through the opening, while packages above that diameter do not. Conveniently, the opening may be pressed by stages to successively greater widths until the package finally passes through the opening at a stage depending on the amount of yarn thereon.

An apparatus according to the invention for carrying out the process outlined above comprises a member having an opening therein, movable elements mounted in said opening to control the width thereof, means for pressing said elements to a predetermined extent and means for collecting the packages passing through said opening. Conveniently, a member may be provided having a plurality of openings therein and a plurality of means for widening said openings to different predetermined extents may be provided, the member in which the openings are formed being moved so that each of said openings in turn passes successively under the influence of each of said widening means. Thus, the member containing the openings may be in the form of a rotating table and relatively simple means such as iixed cams relatively to which the table rotates may be provided for successively widening the openings.

The invention is particularly applicable to the sorting of bobbins or similar packages that are to be employed for the making of warps. The invention is especially convenient where the packages contain artiiicial yarns and more particularly artificial yarns produced by the dry spinning or evaporative method that is frequently employed in the production of yarns of cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose. In the production of artificial yarns the yarns may be wound as they are produced upon bobbins or like packagesl for which purpose a machine may be employed on which a large number of bobbins are wound simultaneously. It is convenient to run the bobbins for a predetermined time so that a predetermined amount of yarn is wound thereon, the bobbins on a given machine being systematically changed when they are full so thatthey all run for the same time. Where a breakdown occurs, however, so that one or more bobbins on the machine have not been running for the iull predetermined time, it is not convenient to leave such bobbins after the rest have been changed and consequently some bobbins may be produced which do not carry the full quantity of yarn. When such bobbins are employed for warping they do not run for the same numberof warps as the other bobbins which contain the full quantity of yarn and this leads to inconvenience and delay in the warping operation. Consequently it is desirable that these bobbins should be segregated from the rest and used separately, and further that they should be sorted whereby in a single warping operation there may be employed a number of incomplete bobbins all containing substantially the same quantity of yarn. The present invention is, therefore, useful for sorting out the incomplete bobbins .for this purpose.

In the machine according to the invention spring-loaded elements may be provided for controlling the width of the openings in which the packages rest. These elements may be in the form of a pair of aps hinged at opposite edges of a rectangular hole and spring-loaded sol that their edges are normally a suiiicient distance apart just to allow an empty package to pass between them. Where the packages to be sorted are anged bobbins the flaps may be made so. that their hinged sides do not occupy the whole side,l of the rectangle to which they are attached but leave a space at each endl for the accommodationeof the bobbin iiange. The springs by which the flaps are loaded should be suiciently strong to support the weight of a full package placed in the opening, cams or other pressing means being relied on to force the flaps against the action of the springs so that the iiaps open until the package falls through.

Feeding of the bobbins or other packages to the holesinto which they are to be pressed may be effected by any convenient means, preferably of an automatic nature. Thus, they may be passed down a chute or run-way to be released at the bottom as each hole passes. the lower end of the chute or run-way. Where a table containing a number'of holes is employed there may be a single feeding device at one point of its periphery or there may be two or more feeding devices at different points, with a series of cams extending from each feeding point to the nex In the latter case only one of the feeding devices may be left in action when it is desired to increase the number of classes into which the bob bins are sorted, the cams being readjusted as a single series of steadily increasing depth.

By way of example, one form of the apparatus will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus as a whole;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of part of the apparatus, broken away to show certain details;

Figure 3 is a radial section of one side of the apparatus; and

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show various apparatus.

The apparatus is adapted for the sorting of anged bobbins of about 41/2 inches in length and 21/2 inches in iiange diameter. The apparatus comprises a circular table I having round its edge twelve rectangular holes 2 a little over 4% inches by 21/2 inches, the longer axis being disposed radially with respect to the table. Hinged to the substantially radial sides of each hole are a pair of flaps 3 about 3 inches in length and 7/8 of an inch in width. The table is rotatably carried on a central plate 4 and is driven by means of a friction wheel 5. Instead of a friction wheel 5, a pinion may be employed, engaging with gear teeth round the periphery of the table, but in this case it is preferable to include in the drive to the pinion a friction clutch which may slip in the event of a bobbin jamming in the machine.

Bobbins indicated at 6 are fed to the holes 2 successively as they pass a feeding station at a point on the periphery of the talbe, i. e. the point shown at the top of Figure 1. The bobbins, when sorted, emerge from beneath the table along chutes indicated at two bobbins 8 and 9 of different sizes being indicated in Figure l as emerging from two chutes at different points around the periphery of the table.

As is shown in Figures 2 and 3, each of the aps 3 is mounted on a horizontal spindle IIJ in bearings II on the underside of the table I, and the spindles IU are provided at their inner ends with toothed segments I2, I3, which interengage so as to ensure that the two flaps 3 in each opening occupy corresponding angular positions. The flaps 3 are spring-loaded by means of a spring I4 secured at one end to the segment I2, and at the other end to an upstandng flange I5 forming part of the table I. A stop IB is provided to limit the motion of the segment I2, so that the flaps 3 occupy a limiting position below the plane of the table I. The spindle I0 carrying the other segment I3 is provided also with an arm I'I having at its other end a cam follower I8 which engages successively with a eseries of twenty-four cams I9, carried beneath the central plate 4 of the machine. Each of the cams I9 is guided by a guide rod 22 extending downwardly beneath the plate 4 and its height is controlled by means of a screw 23 operated by a notched head 24, any accidental motion of which is prevented by means of springs 25 secured at 26 to the central plate 4 and tting into the notches 2'I in the head 24. By these means the cams I9 may be adjusted to any desired height, and they are adjusted as shown in Figure 6 so as to push the cam details of the his follower I8 successively downwards as the table I rotates.

In Figure 6, the five adjacent cams shown cover, for illustrative purposes, the whole range from empty bobbins to full bobbins, but it will be understood that in practice the range covered by five adjacent cams will usually be far less, so that the whole range is distributed round the periphery of the machine. A return cam 29 is provided, following the last of the cams I9, and the cam follower I8 rises up the cam 29 as the opening returns to the feeding station.

The central plate 4 is stiffened by means of webs 20 and carried on a central pillar 2| indicated in Figure 1. The table I is supported on the central plate 4 by means of a bearing 28 (Figure 3).

Beneath the table I are disposed a number of radial chutes 1, one for each of the cams I3, the chutes 'I being adapted to receive the bobbins as they drop through the opening 2, and to direct them to suitable containers disposed outside the periphery of the machine. At the feeding station, to which the bobbins S are fed (Figure 1), is disposed a pair of stationary cams 3l indicate in Figure 5, adapted to receive the fianges 32 of the bobbins as they are fed into each opening, so that as the table moves round, the bobbins roll on their flanges gently down the slope 33, of the cam 3 I, and are deposited gently on the flaps 3 of the opening 2.

In the operation of the machine, the bobbins 6 are fed successively to the openings 2, successively occupying the feeding station, and their flanges are received by the cam 3| disposed beneath the feeding station. As the table rotates, each bobbin is first rolled down the slope 33 of the cam 3I so that its barrel is gently engaged with the edges of the aps 3. At this stage, the edges of the flaps 3 are at a sufficient distance apart to allow the passage of any bobbin which is empty, or which contains so little yarn as to be useless. If the bobbin, however, contains any greater amount of yarn, the edges of the flaps 3 at the feeding station are close enough to one another to prevent the bobbin passing through. As the table I continues to rotate, the cam follower I8 on the lever II engages successively with the series of cams I9, and is pressed successively downwards. By these means, the flaps 3 are forced open against the action of the spring I4, so that the distance between the edges of the flaps is increased to successively greater extents. Ultimately, a stage is reached where the flaps 3 are wide enough apart for the bobbin restingl between them to slip between them, and at this stage, which depends upon the amount of yarn on the bobbin, the bobbin falls through, is received by a chute 3D and directed to a container. Thus each container receives bobbins carrying a certain amount of yarn, bobbins containing less yarn having been delivered to a previous container, and bobbins containing more yarn being retained and delivered to a subsequent container. In this manner, the bobbins B are divided into twenty-four groups, one for each of the cams I9. If a coarse grading is desired two or more feeding stations may be employed, distributed round the periphery of the machine, the bobbins being sorted into as many groups as there are cams between one feeding station and the next.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus'for sorting yarn packages in accordance with the amount'of vyarn contained thereon, said apparatus comprising a rotatable table having a circular series of openings therein, a pair of spring-loaded flaps for each opening, hinged one on each side of each opening, a plurality of cams, disposed in a circular series corresponding to said series of openings, and each adapted to press said iiaps open to a predetermined extent, the cams overlapping each other to provide a continuous operating edge, separate means for adjusting independently the extent of opening produced by each of said pressing cams, and means for collecting packages passing through said openings at each of said pressing cams.

2. Apparatus for sorting yarn packages in accordance with the amount of yarn contained thereon, said apparatus comprising a rotatable table having a circular series of openings therein, a pair of spring-loaded aps for each opening, hinged one on each side of each opening, a plurality of cams, disposed in a circular series corresponding to said series of openings, and each adapted to press said naps open to a predetermined extent and each formed so as to give a dwell the cams overlapping each other provide a continuous operating edge of inclines ultimating with dwells, separate means for adjusting independently the extent of opening produced by each of said pressing cams, and means for collecting packages passing through said openings at each of said pressing cams.

3. Apparatus for sorting anged bobbins in accordance with the amount of yarn contained thereon, said apparatus comprising a rotatable table having a circular series of openings therein, a pair of spring-loaded flaps for each opening, hinged one on each side of each opening, said flaps being shorter, along their hinged sides,

than said openings so as to leave the ends of said openings clear for the passage of the anges of the bobbins, means for feeding the flanged bobbins to said openings at a fixed point, a cam beneath the openings at said point, said cam being adapted to engage the flanges and to allow the bobbins to come gently into contact with said flaps, a plurality of means, disposed in a circular series corresponding to said series of openings, and each adapted to press said flaps open to a predetermined extent, and means for collecting bobbins passing through said openings at each of said pressing means.

4. Apparatus for sorting flanged bobbins in accordance with the amount of yarn contained thereon, said apparatus comprising a rotatable table having a circular series of openings therein, a pair of spring-loaded flaps for each opening, hinged one on each side of each opening, means for gearing said flaps together so that they occupy corresponding angular positions, said iiaps being shorter, along their hinged sides, then said openings so as to leave the ends of said openings clear for the passage of the flanges of the bobbins, means for feeding the flanged bobbins to said openings at a xed point, a cam beneath the openings at said point, said cam being adapted to engage the anges and to allow the bobbins to come gently into contact with said flaps, a plurality of means, disposed in a circular series corresponding to said series of openings, and each adapted to press said naps open to a predetermined extent, separate means for adjusting independently the extent of opening produced by each of said pressing means, and means for collecting bobbins passing through said openings at each of said pressing means.

ALBERT FAIRHOLME GUYLER. 

